Fortunately, I had my own notebook when listening to Marriott and Nilsson and I readily jotted down a host of Vision54 (the name is derived from the goal or vision of 18 birdies in a round) tips and life lessons. Here they are:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Vision54 aims at addressing all the pieces of a player\u2019s game\u2014physical, technical, mental, emotional, social and the spirit of the game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re game and performance coaches,\u201d said Nilsson. \u201cOur scorecard is the student\u2019s scorecard\u2014it\u2019s all about success on the course.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u201cTechnically speaking, we\u2019re agnostic when it comes to swing theories,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cSince most of our players already have sound fundamentals, we focus more on playing skills.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- The emotional side of competitive players is also evaluated in Vision54. \u201cManaging emotions during competition is so crucial,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cWe\u2019ve known some players who can\u2019t even read their putts because they\u2019re too hyper and excited.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Vision54 even drills down to some bedrock social issues surrounding players\u2019 games such as interaction with caddies, parents and even sponsors. Marriott recounted the story of then junior phenom Annika Sorenstam being so fearful of giving a winning acceptance speech that she would subconsciously sabotage her final round performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Key principles of the \u201cthink box\u201d and the \u201cplay box\u201d were defined. Marriott and Nilsson want their players to develop a routine where they assess and execute each shot in a precise way. Assessing or thinking about a given shot is one side of a \u201cdecision line\u201d called the \u201cThink Box.\u201d Crossing over that line to execute and be fully \u201cpresent\u201d to execute the shot is the \u201cPlay Box.\u201d Nilsson added: \u201cWe coach players to show up and be in the present for every shot.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- A quick but not hurried pre-shot routine inside the \u201cPlay Box\u201d is another tenet of Vision54. \u201cFour or five seconds at most is the optimum time inside the Play Box,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cLonger than that and the brain will wander and lose focus.\u201d Nilsson added this axiom: \u201cThe quicker the players\u2019 minds, the less time should be spent inside the Play Box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Managing \u201cself-talk\u201d is another precept. Said Nilsson: \u201cThe little voices in a player\u2019s head (during a tournament) must be managed.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- \u201cAll peak performance is a first person experience,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cAnd it\u2019s being present through your senses.\u201d She related a story about PGA golf pro and Oklahoma Air National Guard Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor foundation, telling her flying an F-16 jet in combat with myriad controls for both the pilot\u2019s hands is akin to being in the \u201czone\u201d where feel, intuition and trained instinct transcends cognition. \u201cWhether flying a jet or hitting a pivotal shot in competition, it\u2019s the same dynamic\u2014being totally present,\u201d said Rooney.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Notebook in hand, Vision54 also challenges the competitive players to ask themselves this question: \u201cWhy do I play golf?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Intrinsic passion for the game drives not only success on the course but enjoyment off of it. When a player\u2019s enthusiasm for the game wanes, poor results and performance often follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u201cAll peak performance is a first person experience,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cAnd it\u2019s being present through your senses.\u201d She related a story about PGA golf pro and Oklahoma Air National Guard Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor foundation, telling her flying an F-16 jet in combat with myriad controls for both the pilot\u2019s hands is akin to being in the \u201czone\u201d where feel, intuition and trained instinct transcends cognition. \u201cWhether flying a jet or hitting a pivotal shot in competition, it\u2019s the same dynamic\u2014being totally present,\u201d said Rooney.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Managing \u201cself-talk\u201d is another precept. Said Nilsson: \u201cThe little voices in a player\u2019s head (during a tournament) must be managed.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- A quick but not hurried pre-shot routine inside the \u201cPlay Box\u201d is another tenet of Vision54. \u201cFour or five seconds at most is the optimum time inside the Play Box,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cLonger than that and the brain will wander and lose focus.\u201d Nilsson added this axiom: \u201cThe quicker the players\u2019 minds, the less time should be spent inside the Play Box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Key principles of the \u201cthink box\u201d and the \u201cplay box\u201d were defined. Marriott and Nilsson want their players to develop a routine where they assess and execute each shot in a precise way. Assessing or thinking about a given shot is one side of a \u201cdecision line\u201d called the \u201cThink Box.\u201d Crossing over that line to execute and be fully \u201cpresent\u201d to execute the shot is the \u201cPlay Box.\u201d Nilsson added: \u201cWe coach players to show up and be in the present for every shot.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Vision54 even drills down to some bedrock social issues surrounding players\u2019 games such as interaction with caddies, parents and even sponsors. Marriott recounted the story of then junior phenom Annika Sorenstam being so fearful of giving a winning acceptance speech that she would subconsciously sabotage her final round performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- The emotional side of competitive players is also evaluated in Vision54. \u201cManaging emotions during competition is so crucial,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cWe\u2019ve known some players who can\u2019t even read their putts because they\u2019re too hyper and excited.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u201cTechnically speaking, we\u2019re agnostic when it comes to swing theories,\u201d said Marriott. \u201cSince most of our players already have sound fundamentals, we focus more on playing skills.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re game and performance coaches,\u201d said Nilsson. \u201cOur scorecard is the student\u2019s scorecard\u2014it\u2019s all about success on the course.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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